By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in collaboration with the National Single Window (NSW) Secretariat, has intensified implementation of the NSW with a sensitisation programme for Customs officers, shipping lines and other maritime stakeholders, as the maritime manifest submission phase begins.
Speaking during the sensitisation at Apapa Area Command on Tuesday, 4 August 2026, Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of ICT/Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, said the exercise builds on stakeholder engagements held before and after the successful launch of phase One of the NSW on 27 March 2026. She described the platform as an international best practice that will strengthen Nigeria’s position in global trade.
Adebakin said, “Since the introduction of the National Single Window, the country as a whole, not only the NCS, has begun to experience its benefits. Nigeria’s standing in international trade is improving, and the NCS remains committed to supporting the successful implementation of this initiative.”
She explained that the NSW goes beyond revenue generation to deliver trade facilitation, reliable data and stronger anti-smuggling measures. She assured participants that electronic submission would not alter the Service’s statutory responsibilities.
“It is simply a more efficient and transparent method of submitting the same documents.”
The Zonal Coordinator for Zone ‘A’, Assistant Comptroller-General Mohammed Babandede, said stakeholder engagement remains a hallmark of the Service. He stressed that Customs consistently consults industry players before introducing new policies and digital solutions.
“The sea manifest is central to cargo declaration and risk management. I urge shipping companies to submit compliant manifests promptly to support faster cargo clearance and efficient risk profiling.”
National Coordinator of the National Single Window Project, Tola Fakolade, commended the NCS for its support and noted that the platform has achieved significant milestones, including the issuance of over 100,000 licences and permits and the registration of more than 1,000 users.
The Customs Area Controller, Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, commended participants for their engagement and urged shipping companies, terminal operators, and other stakeholders to sustain collaboration with the NCS and the NSW Secretariat to accelerate trade facilitation, improve compliance, strengthen transparency, and reinforce Nigeria’s position as a competitive trading nation.
